The present invention relates to molded athletic boots and more particularly it concerns a novel liner for ski boots or hockey skates. Liners are needed in molded boots, since the outer shell is molded from a synthetic material which is semi-rigid, generally unyieldable and therefore uncomfortable, absent some form of internal lining. Moreover, in the case of ski boots, the advent of molded synthetic shells has permitted the utilization of a single sized shell for a range of foot sizes. Thus, the retailer could reduce his inventory of different size shells while fitting the same to various sized feet by using interchangeable liners. Nevertheless, under this procedure the retailer still needed a rather large inventory of different sized liners. Thus, it is of economic significance to also provide a standard, single size liner which can be modified to fit a range of foot sizes.
Several types of boot linings are known for use in molded athletic boots, some of which are designated to accommodate different foot sizes.
In one construction, illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,325,920, the boot shell is formed with internal envelopes which can be filled with a flowable material. However, in order to fit the boot to a wearer's foot, a special machine is needed to insert the filler material.
In a further arrangement, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,237,319 a pad containing a flowable material is positioned within a boot about the ankle and back of a wearer's foot. In this arrangement, however, no means are provided for adjusting a single size boot to accomodate various sized feet. That is, once the boot is manufactured with a particular width size, further adjustment thereof is not possible by the retailer or consumer.
In another arrangement, individual pockets of flowable material are removeably positioned within the molded outer shell. As shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,374,561 and 3,407,406 these pockets are designed to permit insertion of additional pillows of the flowable cushioning material. It will be apparent, however, that in order to obtain a proper fit, the pockets must be randomly adjusted by adding or removing pillows. Moreover, due to the compressability of the material, adjustment thereof can only be accomplished by extensive trial and error.
In yet another arrangement, a separate liner is inserted into a molded outer shell. To adjust the fit, shims are glued to either the outside or the inside surface of the liner as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,337. However, these shims can easily peel off either during use or while inserting or removing the liner from a molded outer shell. Additionally, shims which are glued to the surface of a liner are unattractive and therefore difficult to market.